What is a temple?

Temple--our country's artistic treasure house, it is a symbol of our country's long history and culture. In a broad sense, temples are not only related to Buddhism. But in Buddhism, temples have many names: for example, "temple" did not originally refer to Buddhist temples. Since the Qin Dynasty, official residences have usually been called temples. In the Han Dynasty, the place where eminent monks from the West lived was also called a temple. From then on, "temple" gradually became the specific name for Chinese Buddhist architecture. "Temple" is a new name given to Buddhist buildings by the Chinese out of respect for Buddhism after Buddhism was introduced to China. Such as Baima Temple, Dazhao Temple, etc. In addition, Ru'an, that is the temple where the nuns live. There are also grottoes, which are caves dug into the cliff and are a form of early Buddhist architecture. This form was often used in early Buddhist temples in India. There are two forms of Buddhist grottoes in India. One is a monastery-style monk's room, with a small square hole, a door on the front, and small niches dug on three sides for monks to sit in the niches and practice; the other is a Zhiti cave, which has a larger area and a cave. There is a pagoda in the center behind the center, and in front of the pagoda, believers can gather to worship Buddha. In Mongolian, "temple" is called "call". Such as Dazhao, Wudangzhao, etc. In addition, it is also called Potala Palace, Putuo Zongcheng Temple, etc.

In Taoism, temples also have many names: when Taoism was first founded, its religious organizations and activity venues were all called "governing". It is also called "Lu", "Jing", and also called Jingbao. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Taoist activity place was called Xianguan. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the name of the Taoist activity place was "Guan", which means watching the stars and watching the Qi. In the Tang Dynasty, because the emperor recognized Lao Tzu as his ancestor, and the emperor's residence was called "gong", Taoist buildings were also called "gong". Others are called "yuan" and "ancestral temple", such as Wenshu Yuan, Bixia Temple, etc.

Confucianism calls it "temple", "palace", and "altar", such as Confucius Temple, Confucian Temple, Yonghe Temple, Temple of Heaven, etc.

Islam calls it "temple", such as mosque, etc. Catholics call it "the church."

In primitive times or among the people, it was called "temple" or "ancestral temple", such as the place where ancestors, gods, Buddhas or sages of previous generations were worshiped in the old days. They are called Taimiao Temple, Zhongyue Temple, Xiyue Temple, Nanyue Temple, Beiyue Temple, Dai Temple, etc. Such as ancestral temples and ancestral halls (temples for worshiping ancestors or sages), including Wuhou Temple, Hanwengong Temple, etc.

Temple culture completely preserves the historical relics of various dynasties in our country. Among the national cultural relics protection units announced by the state, temples and related facilities account for about half, which is called the "vault of historical relics". Well deserved. The temple architecture is combined with the traditional palace architectural form, with distinctive national style and folk characteristics.

At the same time, temple culture has penetrated into all aspects of our lives: such as astronomy, geography, architecture, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, music, dance, cultural relics, temple fairs, folk customs, etc. Annual temple fairs in various places are in full swing, which not only enriches the cultural atmosphere of various places, but also promotes the development of local tourism.

I have been to Buddhist temples before, but I never knew about the art and culture inside. I just thought that Buddhist temples all over the world are the same. Only recently did I really understand the mystery. Ancient Chinese Temples - Art of Our Country A treasure house, it is a symbol of our country's long history and culture.